Amidst many other things, it was Parent-Teacher Conference week at my school. I love this time, because I get to see and speak to many parents that I don't get to see often....but let's be honest, it's exhausting!!
My school does conference week to where we have full school days Monday-Thursday. Then on Tuesday and Thursday nights, we have conferences. Friday we get the day off and it is much needed!
As I was organizing my conferences, I was thinking how much better I am getting at them. It is pretty much a routine I have down to a science and it helps keep my stress level down. I go in feeling prepared for the whirlwind that is conferences!
So I thought today I would share with you....
Let me preface by saying nothing in this post is amazingly original, creative, or will blow your mind--they are all very simple tips. However, as a first/second year teacher, I wish someone had shared these ideas with me. They are super easy and keep me from forgetting anything important. It also keeps my stress level down a bit since I know I am organized and ready to go.
The first helpful thing I started doing a couple years back is sending home this paper prior to conferences:
The paper reminds parents that conferences are coming up and asks if there are any particular topics they would like addressed during our conference. This way, I can be prepared to answer questions/concerns from parents and also have any materials on hand I may need to help. For example, one student's mom wrote that she wanted to know how she could help him with his letters at home. So in his conference folder, I put games, activities, and tips for her to help him. I absolutely love this form--it really lets me know ahead of time of any parent concerns, or vice versa if they have no particular topics they want to cover.
Next, after I get all my testing done, I have a folder for each student (I just use a manila folder). I stuff them with all of their testing info, copy of the grade card, etc. Then I attach a cover (bright and colorful of course!):
My secretary is awesome enough that she made us a grid so we can fill in names by the times for each conference. This way I can see at a glance who is where on my schedule and any openings I have. My next tip would be DO THIS. If my secretary didn't have this for us, I would make it--it is simple, but essential to keeping me on schedule for conferences.
Tip #4 is to put all the folders in order of your conference. That way when each parent walks in, I just grab the folder off the top and that is their student's work. **This seems like such a simple tip, but I used to have them in order of student numbers, so I was digging through the pile each time to get to the one I needed. All of a sudden, I was like why am I doing this?? I will just put them in the order I need them. DUH, Danielle.
Here are my two piles, one for Tuesday night and one for Thursday night. They are in order of use (first conference on top):
My final tip is not cute or fancy in any way (much of like the other tips), although it has really helped me! In addition to all of my info I give to parents, they give us SO many extra papers/packets/surveys, etc. to pass out to parents---it never fails, I ALWAYS forget things! Or there may be something I wanted to ask or speak to a particular parent about and I end up forgetting.....well are you ready for my ultra high-tech, fancy shmancy, uber genius way to help remind myself??
Here it is (drumroll please):
Yes, a large Post-it!! I told you, super genius idea right? ;)
I started doing this a couple conferences ago, and now I rarely forget anything important. This conference, I wanted to get as many field trip permission slips signed as possible, and I was also supposed to make sure to discuss and send home summer school info with parents. So I wrote these on a Post-It and stuck it to my table right next to me. That way I saw it at every conference. And yes, I have to write a reminder to have parents sign-in--I don't know why I am so bad at remembering that!! But this year, I remembered every time thanks to my handy dandy post-it!
So here is my set up when I was all ready for conferences!
With all of these simple things done, I feel so much more relaxed and prepared going into a night of back to back conferences. And let's face it, the nice and neat little piles just make my Type A heart happy :)
If you like these ideas, I have put the conference question form and conference folder cover sheets into a little packet for free for you! Just click here to download.
I hope I have given you at least one idea you can use to keep yourself a little more organized for your next set of conferences! If you have any other tips, I would love to hear them in the comments!
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